2019 – 2020 Grants

The PBL Education Foundation’s Grant Program is off and running for the 2019-2020 school year. Several grant requests have been submitted and approved.

Emily Wood, High School Art teacher, requested funds for quality paint, brushes, rollers, paint trays, tarps, canvases and step ladders for her Community Art classes (which have doubled in size this year) to create murals in the high school.Wood was given $650 to purchase these supplies.

A PBL HS Art student is pictured with the beginning of a painting that will eventually decorate Assistant Principal Busby’s office.

Mary Ager, Jr High Art teacher, requested and received $658 for a Pottery Wheel, stating that it will, “add another dimension of knowledge and skill for all junior high students that has not been offered at this level before, allowing students to explore the process of clay building.” Ager also added, “This piece of equipment can really be a game changer for the Art Department!”

A Junior High student trying her hand at the newly-acquired pottery wheel.

Clara Peterson’s Physical Education teachers, Jake LeClair and Amy Swan, received $806 for three new tumbling mats and a balance beam.The new mats will replace the current old, worn mats which have been used by the school and park district for many years. They plan to use them for the gymnastics unit, obstacle courses, yoga unit, and other games throughout the year, adding that they are very versatile and will be helpful in all the physical education classes at Clara Peterson.

Kids at Clara Peterson Elementary using the new tumbling mats for a game of Pirate Ship.

Wendy Niebuhr and the 1st grade team requested and received $414 for 6 Google Home devices. “With this grant we hope to enhance students’ use of technology in the classroom by adding a component to our Google-driven school district… teaching students productive, useful and safe ways to use artificial intelligence in their everyday lives.”

A first grader is asking the Google Home about interesting wolf facts to add to his animal report.

Stacy Johnson, PBL Jr High Guidance Counselor, received $750 to organize an 8th Grade Career Conference Day. The funds were used to secure a keynote speaker and supply lunch for other career professional speakers, giving students an all-day symposium to learn and be educated about all kinds of career possibilities and what employers are looking for in their employees.

Lisa Allen, PBL HS Special Education Teacher, requested and received $1,000 to start a coffee cart business for her approximately 15 students in her Functional Life Skills Program. “Having a coffee shop business would help foster social communication, following directions, filling an order, budgeting, money skills, health and hygiene, and so much more… in turn the profits would continue to fund the coffee shop program and provide money for the students to go on community outings to enrich their curriculum.” Plans are to have the coffee cart business up and running at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year.

The PBL HS’s Ag Department received $2000 towards the purchase of a plasma cutting system with standard software. This system will allow students to design, create, and build metal projects.Using this cutting-edge technology will give PBL students the upper hand as they seek post-secondary career opportunities.The rest of the purchase price was funded by a CTEI Grant and a Perkins Grant.

The PBL Education Foundation wishes to thank all the donors who support their annual fundraising campaign which raises the funds that allow them to support these types of programs and equipment which have a profound impact on PBL students’ lives.